Back rower Marata Niukore will mark his 150th NRL career appearance while Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is back at fullback for the One New Zealand Warriors’ round 21 encounter with the Gold Coast Titans at Go Media Stadium on Saturday (5.00pm kick-off).

On a day when the club’s NRLW and New South Wales Cup sides again pack out a rugby league triple treat, Nicoll-Klokstad’s return from a knee injury is the only change to the lineup that snared a stunning Leka Halasima-inspired last second 20-15 win over the Newcastle Knights on Sunday night.

After being forced off in the round 17 loss to the Broncos, Nicoll-Klokstad is back in his customary role after missing the victories over the Wests Tigers and Newcastle.

Replacement Taine Tuaupiki moves to the extended bench where he’s joined by hooker Sam Healey, prop Bunty Afoa, centre Ali Leiataua and back rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava.   

The match doubles as a major milestone occasion for the 28-year-old Niukore (Warrior #277) who came through the Warriors’ pathways as a junior making 42 appearances for the club’s under-20 side and 15 at New South Wales Cup level before signing with Parramatta.

He amassed 96 NRL appearances for the Eels from 2018-2022 but returned home for the 2023 campaign.

He’ll play his 54th match for the Warriors on Saturday night in a season in which he has been one of six players to appear in all 17 of the club’s games so far along with Erin Clark, Halasima, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Adam Pompey and Demitric Vaimauga.

The Warriors come into the match with 12-5 record still in fourth spot but now level on 30 points with the Melbourne Storm; the pair have a four-point buffer between them and the fifth-placed Brisbane Broncos.

They face a Titans side left devastated after the Tigers edged them 21-20 with a last gasp field goal leaving Gold Coast at the foot of the points table.

And yet the Titans boast an impressive recent record against the Warriors winning five of the last six encounters between the two sides including two victories at Go Media Stadium when current Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd was a match winner both times.